Sunday, November 30, 2008

Last week with the kids and hubby home, I didn't get out for any thrifting, but I still haven't shown you any pictures of my finds from the week before. I made a trip to Monticello which usually means that I have to stop at every thrift store between my house and Monticello. I made the mistake of putting some things away without taking pictures so I'm sure there is more that I'm not showing, but here are some of the items I was lucky enough to find.I found this cute little doll stroller at the Deseret shop. It was a steal and I don't even care that it's missing its hood. I think I'll add a little floral decal to the sides.I was thrilled to find this lovely mirror. It has great detail with bow at the top and all the little scrolly stuff. Even though it is quite stained under the plastic thingy, the mirror part is in good shape. If I took the plastic part off, that little medallion would have to go to as it is sitting on top. What do you think, leave as is or try to fix it?That same day I found not one, not two, but three chenille spreads. Actually the top and bottom are authentic vintage chenille spreads, the middle one is a queen sized duvet cover (newer). I can never say no to a chenille spread if the price is right. Actually, that's not true. I am a little bit of a chenille snob. They have to be a nice color and they absolutely have to be 100% cotton. In my early days of collecting chenille spreads, I bought a couple that were a blend (with polyester) and they were awful. See, I'm a chenille snob.

Once I got to Monticello and did a little rearranging, I had to do a little looking around. I bought this adorable tole painted trash can from this fabulous dealer. Debbie has great taste and style. I always love the items she chooses and she is a master at display.

I also got this roll of vintage wallpaper and some vintage ticking from my good buddy Sue's booth.

Another dealer had this adorable couple planter. I have seen these a lot and always wanted one, but I just had to have this one as I love the colors on it and the price was right.

The day I was suppose to work on soldered charms with Joy, I stopped at thrift store I don't normally go to and found this adorable vintage glass hobnail lamp and these cute vintage hangers.

And finally, I found these two fluffy pink velvet hangers and a large piece of vintage rose fabric at the Trading Post Antique Mall in Sherwood.

On my next post I will share with you the day I had yesterday out with my sweet daughter, more vintage finds and I also have another giveaway planned, so come on back!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The other day I was directed to Phyllis' blog to participate in a Portable Studio/Destination Challenge which was to be held on Tuesday (yesterday). Well, I didn't quite get my act together in time, so I am posting it today.

Last week Joy invited me over to work on a craft project. We decided it would be fun to make some soldered charms as it had been a very long time since either of us made any. Okay, I have to be honest. I haven't made any since I took Sally Jean's class. Pathetic, I know, but I think it has been even longer since Joy has made any.

Anyway, I decided to pack up some art goodies to take over to Joy's and fortunately I had just the right container to do the job. My new little handled tin I got at the All Saints Church Christmas bazaar.

As you can see, I packed it full of all sorts of neat items. Buttons, lace, old mini keys, ledger paper, ephemera, rhinestone pieces, millinery flowers, etc.

Not as pretty, but just as functional, is the vintage tackle box that is home to my soldering supplies. I love old tackle/tool boxes. They are great for holding all sorts of things. I use one for a money box when I do garage sales or small shows. I have another that I use for my rubber stamps and another for my tags and pricing items.

I was all set to go to Joy's (my project destination) but when I got to her house, she wasn't there. Apparently we got our days mixed up and she was off running errands. She told me to go ahead and get started, which I fully intended to do, but then I got a call from my daughter telling me her school had a bomb scare and they were sending everyone home, I got in my car and headed home. I guess those soldered charms are just going to have to wait. We might try again next week.

(An old picture of my sewing room, it looks way messier than this right now.)

I do have a guest room/sewing room where I could work on projects, but it is a little cramped and I prefer to be where the action is, so I will sometimes take stuff to work on at the kitchen table which drives my husband crazy because I am naughty and sometimes leave my stuff out on the table for weeks.

Crafting is fun, but so much better with a friend so I like to be able to throw stuff together to craft on the go. Totes are great for this too. I have lots of totes that I use for sewing projects that I'm working on either at home, at a friend's house or when we head over the mountain to see my in-laws.On a completely unrelated note, I want to leave you with this picture of a bird in a bush. I was in the drive through at McDonald's when I spotted this bush that had at least 6 of these birds in it. By the time I whipped out my camera, all but one flew away. Of course, after I pulled forward a bit in line, and could no longer get a good picture, I looked back and they had all returned. Silly.

I hope you all have a truly wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends tomorrow!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Last week I mentioned that I was reading the Twilight books in preparation for the movie which came out yesterday and I planned on seeing. Usually I don't see movies on opening day. I'll wait till the crowds die down a bit. But, I was very excited to see this one. I even went on Fandango to buy tickets as I heard some showings at some theaters were selling out.

So, I picked up my friend Kate and off we went to see the movie. Well, I have to say that I felt like the biggest dork ever when we got to the theater and we were the first ones in. I guess since the kids had school I really didn't have to worry about a sell out like I thought. Anyway, we had a great time and really enjoyed the movie.

I did do a little thrifting this week, but unfortunately didn't take any pictures of the things I found. I will try to round up some of the things I got for some photos.

I also don't have any projects or decorating pics for you either. Bummer, right? However, if you would like to see some fabulous eye candy, you can go see Isabel and her absolutely lovely guest room. If you are like me and love roses and vintage stuff, I guarantee you will be drooling and begging her to let you come for a visit.

You can see more of Isabel's incredible collections/decor here and here and here.

On another note, I want to thank everyone who contributed a name for my new dress form. There were some great ones like Ruby, Scarlett, Rose, Sherry, but the name I'm going to go with for now, and this could change, is Sally Ann. Get it? I got her at the Salvation Army. She seems a little fancy for such a country girl name, but I like it so Sally Ann it is. At least for now.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

I can't believe it is Sunday already. I have been a big bum this weekend. I decided that since the movie "Twilight" is coming out next week and there has been a lot of buzz about it, that I should read the book. Well, I did and I loved it. My daughter read the first three books and is currently on the 4th. I am currently on the 3rd. I love to read, but I have mentioned here before that when I do, I become obsessed and can get nothing done until I finish the book.

Today, I decided I would spend a little time cleaning my bedroom, dusting, doing a little rearranging, that sort of thing. Have you ever noticed that something that shouldn't take very long usually ends up taking a lot longer to do that you planned? Well, I cleaned one area and then I thought, "oh, that area on top of the dresser is a mess so I have to take everything off the dresser and dust every little thing, then I put everything back, but not the way it was before, I have to change things up a little bit to give it a fresh look.

Friday morning as I was driving through my town looking for Garage Sale signs, I noticed that there was a sale in our Old Town area so I stopped to check it out. Boy, was I ever glad I did. Lots of great vintage stuff. I just kept adding to the pile and I made several trips around the room and kept finding more stuff. The best part was that everything was so cheap. I think I spent a total of $35.00 for everything and I got a lot.

So, for your viewing pleasure, here are some shots of my finds from Friday along with a few things I picked up on my Wednesday run over to Monticello. I kind of squished everything together, but I was thrilled to find not one, but two etched mirrors, the floral print, vintage electric sconce and two suitcases.Better view of the metal shelf, suitcases and hats.Very cool vintage hats

I also found some great linens on Friday including some gorgeous barkcloth fabric pieces. They are all soaking now, so I'll have to show them on another post. Hope you enjoyed my thrifty finds this week. TTFN!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

With the kids home yesterday for Veterans Day, I was a little lazy and hung out in my PJ's for awhile. The only thing I had to do was return a pair of pants I bought for my son that didn't fit to Value Village. I had to do it as it was the last day I could and since I had spent a whopping $14.99 on them, I knew I had to go. So off I went in the soggy Oregon rain. Well, since I was headed that way anyway, I decided to stop at Goodwill to see if they had anything good. I ran into my friend Bobbie and spent some time chatting with her. Then I found a few things I thought were neat that I could resell.

Next stop was Value Village where they were having a Veteran's Day Sale. 50% off everything! It was packed, but I was tickled to find several good things. Here's what I scored yesterday.

The shelf, ceramic turkey (on the shelf) and hand painted lamp all came from Goodwill. The down ticking pillows, basket, picket tray, hand painted trivet, and two prints came from Value Village.

Last week when I was at the Salvation Army buying the mini dress form, I asked if they ever get any full sized ones in and the gal there said they do sometimes and they could call me if they ever get any in. So I left my name and number. On Monday afternoon I got a call from SA saying they had just gotten a dress form in and wanted to let me know. She described it to me and told me the price, but it didn't sound like something I really wanted.

Anyway, since I was right by SA yesterday (it is literally right around the corner from Value Village) I stopped in to check it out. Well, long story short, here is my new friend.I just love her. I don't think I have ever seen one with this great cranberry colored fabric and the base is a neat cast iron. At first I thought I would buy her to resell, but, don't you think she looks great tucked in the corner in my living room? She goes perfectly with my curtains.

So, now I need to give her a name. Any suggestions?

Heading over to Monticello today for some drop off and fluffing. Hope you are having a great week!

Monday, November 10, 2008

I had so much fun on Saturday doing the All-Saints Bazaar in Portland. I couldn't have asked for better neighbors there too. Isabel was on my left, Amy on my right and right in front of me was the adorable Laurie.

It was busy with lots of people the moment they opened the doors. Since this is the first bazaar I have done in a very long time, I had no idea how I would do, but I have to say, I set a conservative goal and exceeded it slightly. Of course, I would have liked to have sold a lot more, but that's okay. Just being there was lots of fun, visiting and chatting with my neighbors, doing a little shopping too.

My pictures turned out a little fuzzy, but here they are anyway.

Here's Laurie in her booth.

Another shot of some of her adorable creations.

Amy in her booth.

Amy, who doesn't have a blog (yet), makes the most wonderful banners, pillows, ornaments, etc. out of beautiful vintage fabrics. You can find her wares on her ebay store Vintage-Home or on Etsy.

Here's a shot of Isabel's booth. She had some adorable banners and stockings made out of vintage wool blankets as well as some very sweet hanger covers for sale.

And finally, my messy space. I obviously brought too much as everything was literally crammed on my table, and under my table. Unfortunately I didn't sell one tissue holder after I made them specifically for the show. Oh well, I guess I will just take them over to Monticello and see if I have any luck with them there. I will be taking the rest of my Christmas stuff over later this week.

In addition to my fun neighbors, I got to meet one of my favorite blogging pals, Pam of One Gal's Trash. She was so sweet and I'm so glad she stopped by to say hi. I was also surprised to see my old pal Lindy who I have known since my daughter was newborn. We were in a New Mom's class put on by the hospital. I hardly ever see her, but she says she reads my blog all the time to keep up with what I'm doing. She was in Portland last weekend celebrating her birthday with her sister and a friend.

I saved the best for last. What I got at the bazaar. Feast your eyes on all these goodies, would you.

I got all this stuff at the treasure table and from one other dealer there. Not the greatest picture, but you can click on it to get better detail.

Rose banner, ticking push pins, lavender stockings, mini Christmas banner and adorable tags all came from Amy. The danger of sitting next to her is that I wanted everything she had. The beaded candy canes came from Laurie and the snowman came from Jennifer who also doesn't have a blog, but was just as sweet as she could be. Her business name is Trotter Ridge and she sells antiques and folk art.

Here are some miscellaneous jewelry items I found at the Treasure Table as well.

And finally, a rose painting I found in the Children's room when they finally allowed adults to shop in there. I cropped out the ugly frame it came in. Pretty colors, no?

Well, that's it for my day at the Bazaar. I was so tired when I finally got home.

On Sunday we had some family fun time by going out to lunch at Sonic (yummy!) and going bowling. After that, the kids wanted to be dropped off at the mall together. Definitely a first, so we dropped them off and headed over to Barnes and Noble to do a little book/magazine browsing. I was so excited to see the Artful Blogging issue my Manni was pictured in. I wanted to tell someone there about it, but I restrained myself. I did get the premier issue of "Where Women Create." I flipped through it, but will have to make time to read it thoroughly. Hope you all have a great week!

Friday, November 7, 2008

I've been busy all week getting ready for the All Saints Bazaar which I'll be going to tomorrow with Isabel. Check out her blog to see what she's been busy making. Of course, I wish I had gotten motivated a long time ago as there were many things I wanted to do that I just didn't get to. I won't say if I had more time, I probably would have gotten more done, because most likely that wouldn't have been the case. I'm a last minute kind of gal and work well under pressure.

Since I only have an 8 foot table, I wasn't sure how much I should bring. I'm terrible at space planning, but I usually make it all work. That said, here are few items that I have been working on that will be coming with me.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Went out for a little thrifting this morning when I really should have been home getting ready for the Bazaar I'm doing this Saturday. I spent quite a lot of yesterday scrubbing the white and pink cabinet that has been sitting on my front porch since this summer. I did this so I can take it to Monticello tomorrow. It was really dirty, but now, it looks so much better. It 's really a fabulous piece and I can't believe I am not going to keep it, but oh well. Maybe if it doesn't sell, I'll find a place for it.

Anyway, back to the morning thrifting. At GW I didn't find anything for re-sell, but I did find some cute clothes for moi. Two cute tops and three dresses. I don't really talk to much about all the clothing I buy at thrift stores on my blog. I guess I just think it's kind of boring and that people would rather see the cool furniture and other junk I find. Anyway, I think I was meant to have these dresses and even though I probably won't wear them until next spring/summer, I was still happy to find them.

Simple pink linen dressWhite Cotton Eyelet DressWhite cotton dress with chocolate brown flowers and satin ribbonThese dresses look so much better in person and on than hanging on a hanger. Plus, they all need a washing and a press too.

My next stop was Value Village where all I found were a pair of jeans for my son. After that I headed over to the Union Gospel Mission thrift store. As I was walking in from the parking lot, I spied what looked like a crusty table with wheels and a drawer sitting on the loading dock. Once inside I saw a pair of cute old white painted windows that were hinged. I asked the sales person what the price was and let's just say, pretty cheap. I also asked about the table I saw on the loading dock and he said he would check it out for me. A few minutes later he wheeled it in. A very cool old metal cart with drawer and wood wheels. I nicely pointed out that it would need a paint job and he quoted me a price half of what he told me for the windows. "Sold!", I said. Here they are together posing on my front porch.My final thrifting stop was at the Salvation Army. You probably remember me talking about this particular store before. In case you don't remember, this one is called their "Boutique" store. This means they primarily carry antiques, vintage items, home decor and name brand clothing. The prices are a bit higher with nothing priced under $4.99. I had seen this little mini dress form the last time I was there and thought it was too cute. The price wasn't though. They had it marked $18.99. Well it was still there today and since SA puts the date the item gets priced on the tag, I noticed it said October 15th. Now, I know that was only a little over two weeks ago, but I decided to ask if they could do anything about the price. She said that she would take $5.00 off. Score! Still higher than I would pay for something that I planned to re-sell, but I will be keeping this cutie for myself. I then spotted a multi strand faux pearl necklace with an awesome rhinestone clasp thingy. The date on that was July 11, so I again asked if I could get a better price and the nice lady ended up taking $4.00 off so I was very happy. Here are my two finds at SA posing together.

So, as my post title today says, it never hurts to ask. Of course, I don't always ask for a lower price and when I do, I'm super nice about it so I don't offend anyone.

Now you know one of my thifting secrets. I have more, but I can't tell you all of them, now can I? ha ha

Finally I want to share with you what came in the mail the other day. My giftie giveaway from Kim at Camp Whimsy. Don't you love all of these goodies? This was one giveaway that I really wanted to win. I can't believe I haven't opened that jam or made the pumpkin whoopy pies yet. Now that I have posted this picture though, look out!

I promise to be back on Thursday, okay, maybe Friday to show you a little of what I will have for sale at the Bazaar. TTFN!